Pill dispenser having safety lock

ABSTRACT

A device for dispensing pills, having an outer container with a screwcap and an inner sleeve. The container and the inner sleeve portion contain apertures which when rotated to alignment with each other allow passage of the pill from the interior of the device. The cap portion of the device also includes a method of locking the device closed in order to prevent access to the pills by children.

United States Patent Burt Van Iperen Rte. #1, Hartley, Iowa 51346 5,386" Jan. 2, 1970 Sept. 14, 1971 Inventor Appl. No Filed Patented PILL DISPENSER HAVING SAFETY LOCK 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[1.8. CI 215/9, 206/92, 215/98 Int. Cl A61j 1/00, B65d 55/02 Field of Search 206/42; 215/9, 98; 220/8 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,214,437 9/1940 Ponte et al 206/42 2,763,956 9/1956 Olson 206/42 X Primary Examiner-George T. Hall ABSTRACT: A device for dispensing pills, having an outer container with a screwcap and an inner sleeve. The container and the inner sleeve portion contain apertures which when rotated to alignment with each other allow passage of the pill from the interior of the device. The cap portion of the device also includes a method of locking the device closed in order to prevent access to the pills by children.

PILL DISPENSER HAVING SAFETY LOCK This invention relates to pill boxes and the like, and more particularly to a safe pill dispenser.

It is therefore the main purpose of the present invention to provide a pill dispenser which will be made of clear glass or plastic and will have a screwcap means to cover the open while a rubber extension of the interior sleeve containing the pills will not rotate and align the apertures through the outer portion of the inner sleeve of the device.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pill dispenser which when the screwcap is removed will release pressure on the inner sleeve in order that it may be rotated so that one of the apertures of the sleeve will align with the similar aperture of the outer portion of the device in order that a pill may be dispensed therefrom. A further object of this invention is to provide a dispenser of the type described which will have wire and lock means in order to secure the screwcap to the device and prevent children from having access to the contents of the dispenser.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a pill dispenser which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a horizontal view of the present invention shown enlarged, in elevation and partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the wire portion for aiding in locking the cap of the device;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal view of the inner sleeve portion of the device shown removed from FIG. 1 and partly broken away; and

FIG. 5 is a transverse view taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 1 and shows the outer container and the inner sleeve with the apertures aligned for dispensing the pills from within.

According to this invention, a pill dispenser I0 is shown to include a container 11 of clear glass or plastic material. A screwcap 12 is threaded onto container 11 and prevents the rotation of the internal sleeve 13 in a manner which hereinafter will be described. Sleeve 13 is provided with an end wall 14 and an aperture 15 and 16 through container 11 aligns with apertures 15' and 16' of sleeve 13 when sleeve 13 is rotated. The pills 17 (one of which is shown) are confined within the sleeve 13 and are received within the open end 18 when sleeve 13 is removed from container 11. The opening 18 abuts with end wall 19 of the container 11 and thus confines pills 17 on the interior of sleeve 13 until removing the cap 12 and rotating stem 20 in order that apertures 15 and 16 of container 11 will align with the respective apertures 15 and 16 of sleeve 13.

It shall be noted that apertures l5, 15, 16, and 16 are all different diameters in order to accommodate pills 17 of various sizes in order that dispenser may be adapted for different types of pills 17. When stem 20 is rotated until aper- I tures l5 and align with each other or 16 and 16' pills 17 may be shaken therefrom, after which stem is rotated again so that the heretofore described openings will be misaligned, the screwcap 12 is then screwed onto container 11 and stem 20 being of rubber will be depressed, thus urging the opening 18 of sleeve 13 against the end wall 19 so that accidental rotation may not occur.

It shall further be noted that stem 20 when cap 12 is in place, urges against end wall 21 of cap 12 and the open end 18 of sleeve 13 abuts with end wall 19 in order to prevent the rotation of sleeve 13 within container 11.

The locking means for pill dispenser 10 includes a transverse opening 22 through cap 12, a wire 23 being flexible is provided with a loop 24 on one end and a loop 25 on its other end, the loop 25 or 24 receiving a padlock 26, thus preventing access to the pills 17 b children.

It shall also be note that wire 23 and its associated loops 24 and 25 are flexible but are firm enough to resist pulling through the transverse opening 22 of cap 12.

What I now claim is:

1. A pill dispenser comprising an elongated clear container, a sleeve carried within said container having rotation means attached thereto for aligning apertures for the removal of pills from the interior thereof, cap means carried by said dispenser with wire and lock means for preventing the opening of said dispenser by children and rubber stem means carried by said dispenser for preventing the rotation of said sleeve of said dispenser when said cap of said dispenser is in place.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve within said container is provided with an end wall at one end and is open at its other end in order that pills may be placed into said sleeve during the packaging and aperture means through said container and said sleeve when aligned by rotating said rubber stem when said cap is removed therefrom, allows for the dispensing of pills from the interior of said sleeve within said container of said dispenser, said rubber stem being grasped in the fingers in order to rotate said sleeve.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein when said cap is screwed onto the open end of said container said rubber stern secured fixedly to the end wall of said sleeve is distorted and urges against the end wall of said screwcap while urging the open end of said sleeve in abutment with the end wall of said container, thus preventing the rotation of said sleeve so that the apertures of said sleeve and said container may not align with each other in order to prevent children from tampering with said dispenser and swallowing the pills contained within said sleeve.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said cap and the threaded portion of said container of said dispenser are provided with a transverse opening, said transverse opening receiving a wire, said wire having a loop at each end, one of said loops extending from one side of said cap and the other of said loops extending from the opposite side and receiving a padlock in order to prevent children from unscrewing said cap and operating said dispenser. 

1. A pill dispenser comprising an elongated clear container, a sleeve carried within said container having rotation means attached thereto for aligning apertures for the removal of pills from the interior thereof, cap means carried by said dispenser with wire and lock means for preventing the opening of said dispenser by children and rubber stem means carried by said dispenser for preventing the rotation of said sleeve of said dispenser when said cap of said dispenser is in place.
 2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said sleeve within said container is provided with an end wall at one end and is open at its other end in order that pills may be placed into said sleeve during the packaging and aperture means through said container and said sleeve when aligned by rotating said rubber stem when said cap is removed therefrom, allows for the dispensing of pills from the interior of said sleeve within said container of said dispenser, said rubber stem being grasped in the fingers in order to rotate said sleeve.
 3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein when said cap is screwed onto the open end of said container said rubber stem secured fixedly to the end wall of said sleeve is distorted and urges against the end wall of said screwcap while urging the open end of said sleeve in abutment with the end wall of said container, thus preventing the rotation of said sleeve so that the apertures of said sleeve and said container may not align with each other in order to prevent children from tampering with said dispenser and swallowing the pills contained within said sleeve.
 4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said cap and the threaded portion of said container of said dispenser are provided with a transverse opening, said transverse opening receiving a wire, said wire having a loop at each end, one of said loops extending from one side of said cap and the other of said loops extending from the opposite side and receiving a padlock in order to prevent children from unscrewing said cap and operating said dispenser. 